Wire-stretcher.



J. 0. BARCLAY. WIRE STRETGHEB.

Patented 0015.3,1911.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 4, 1909.

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JOHN C. BARCLAY, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

ooaxma.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

Application filed December 4, 1909. Serial No. 531,366.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BARCLAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented a certain new and useful ire-Stretcher; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wire tighteners, and particularly to that classthereof employed primarily or customarily, in connection with the guywires of telegraph poles and the like, for taking up slack; and mypresent invention involves improvements on the device for the samepurpose illustrated and described in U. S. Patent No. 940,424 datedNovember 16, 1909.

My invention consists in the novel construction of the frame of thedevice, in the novel location and relative arrangement of the teethwhereby backward rotation of the spindle is prevented, in the novelconstruction of one end of the spindle whereby the tension on the wiretends to hold these teeth locked, in the novel means provided forguiding the wire to the spindle, in the novel means provided forpreventing unintentional slacking of the wire, and generally in featuresof construction and arrangement of the parts.

The objects of my invention are to pro vide a simple, compact, andrelatively inexpensive device of the character described, to providesimple and effective means for guiding the wire to the spindle, toprevent accidental backward slip of the wire, to facilitate theattachment of the loop of an anchor cable or the like to the device, andto avoid injury to the locking teeth of the device.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to theaccompanying drawings, and will then point out the novel features inclaims.

In said drawings: Figure 1 shows a front view and partial section of oneembodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 shows a side View and partialsection'of the said device; and Fig. v3 is an illustrative view, on asmaller scale, showing the device as in use, in connection with ananchor cable.

My improved wire stretcher comprises a frame, of general U-shape,comprising side members 1 and 2, which, in this improved construction,are not connected, except as the ring or loop of the anchor cable itselfforms a connection, but are provided, at the base of the U, withover-lapping ends hav- 1ng curved extremities 3 between which is a space4 adapted to receive the ring or loop of the anchor cable; such ring orloop, when in place in such space 4, in itself forming a pivot for thesetwo members of the frame. Frame member 2 is provided, at its other end,with an extension 5 in which is a guide aperture 6 for the passage ofthe wire or cable 7 to be wound upon the spindle of the device, andframe member 1 is provided wit-h a similar extension 8 having a similarbut wider guide aperture 9 for the passage of said wire or cable 7. 10designates the spindle upon which such wire or cable 7 is to be wound,the end of such wire or cable 7 being customarily passed through "anaperture 11 in the spindle so that said wire or cable may be secured tothe spindle.

The frame member 1 is provided with a bearing orifice within which fitsthe journal 12 of the spindle (said journal indicated in dotted lines inFig. 1) and outside of this ournal the spindle is provided with apolygonal-shaped head 13 adapted to be engaged by a suitable wrench. Theframe member '2 1s provided with an aperture 14 having a beveled or camsurface 15, on that side of the aperture toward which the spindlepresses under the influence of the pull on the wire or cable 7, and thecorresponding end of the spindle 10 is provided with a conical head 16adapted to coact with this cam surface 15 to produce a normal tendencyfor the locking teeth of the frame and spindle to remain in engagement.As clearly shown 1n Fig. 1, the aperture 14 in frame member 2 issomewhat larger than the greatest diameter of this conical head 16, soproviding for the necessary movement of said head as well as for theintroduction of said head into the said aperture, when assembling theparts of the device.

In this device, the locking teeth of the frame are provided on the innerside of the frame, and, consequently, the locking teeth frame, formed onthe frame member 2, and

numerals 18 designate the corresponding teeth of the spindle.

Customarily this device will be shipped unassembled to the point of use,and there assembled, which is'easily done by placing the frame members 1and 2 in proper relative positions, and passing the ends of the spindlethrough the apertures in said frame members. The lower ends of the framemembers being unconnected, it is easy to separate them to introducebetween them the eye or loop of the anchor cable, and when such eye orloop is in place in the space at, and tension is brought upon the anchorcable, the latter forms a very eflicient pivot for these frame members.The prime purpose of leaving the frame members disconnected at theirlower ends, as shown, is to facilitate the introduction of the eye orloop of the anchor cable, as described, former devices for the samepurpose having proved inconvenient in this particular.

When winding up the wire or cable 7 upon the spindle 10, the framemembers 1 and 2 separate somewhat and then draw together again, as theteeth of the spindle pass the teeth of the frame, the two frame memberspivoting upon the loop of the anchor cable at the base of the frame. Topermit this motion without sharply bending the wire or cable 7, aconsiderable space is provided between the guide extensions 5 and 8 ofthe frame members 2 and 1 respectively. To permit the necessary lateralmotion of the wire with respect to the spindle, as it is wound upon thespindle, the guide aperture 9 is made of considerable width laterally.

It is found convenient and desirable to provide some clamping device forpositively preventing unwinding of the wire 7 once the latter has beenplaced under proper ten sion. To this end I have provided a slidingclamp consisting of a base 19 having guiding ears 20, and a clampingring 21 having a threaded stem 22 adapted to project through a suitableaperture in the base 19 and then to have screwed upon it a suitable nut23. This anti-slip clamp is fitted to the wire 7 after the latter hasbeen placed under the desired tension, the screw ring 20 having: beenplaced upon the wire before the end of the latter was passed through theaperture 11, in spindle 10 and the base 19 of this clamping device ispressed up against the extension 8 of frame member 1 and the nut 23turned until the wire is clamped tightly between the ring 21 and thebase plate 19; it being possible to turn up the nut- 23 so tightly as tobend the wire considerably between the said ring on the one hand and theends of the base plate on the other hand. This device holds the Wireexceedingly tightly and so prevents any backward slipping thereofthrough the wire tightening device. If at any time it is desired toslack the wire 7, it is of course a simple matter to loosen thefrictional clamp and, similarly, to disenteeth.

gage the teeth of the spindle 10 from the frame member 2.

At opposite sides the spindle is provided with shoulders of which one isnumbered 2% while the other is the shoulder in which the teeth 18 areprovided. These two shoulders prevent accidental gripping of the wirebetween the spindle and the frame. They also prevent the sides 1 and 2from approaching too closely together.

What I claim is 1. A stretching or tightening device, comprising a frameconsisting of a plurality of side members, adapted for operative connection to each other at one end and free at the other end, but adaptedto be limited in lateral separation at such other end, the free end ofone said member provided with a guide for the wire or the like to beprising a frame consisting of a plurality of side members, adapted foroperative connection to each other at one end and free at the other end,but adapted to be limited in lateral separation at such other end, thefree ends of said members provided with guides for the wire or the liketo be tightened, said guides spaced apart from each other in alongitudinal direction, a spindle mounted in bearing in said frame, andmeans for locking said spindle against backward rotation, comprisingface ratchet teeth carried by the spindle and other 00- acting ratchetteeth facing said spindle ratchet teeth and carried by one of said framemembers, whereby as the spindle rotates in the direction for winding upthe wire the said frame member is moved back and forth with respect tosaid spindle by the cam action of the engaging ratchet 3. A stretchingo-r tightening device, comprising a frame consisting of a plurality ofside members, which are relatively overlapped at one end and are adaptedto receive the loop or ring of a cable or the like between them tooperatively connect them at that end, the other ends of said framemembers being disconnected, the free ends of said members provided withguides for the Wire or the liketo be tightened, said guides spaced apartfrom each other in a longitudinal direction, and a spindle .mounted in abearing in said frame, said spindle and one of said frame members havinginterlocking ratchet teeth.

4. A stretching or tightening device, comprising a frame consisting of aplurality of side members, which are relatively overlapped at one endand are adapted to receive the loop or ring of a cable or the likebetween themto operatively connect them at that end, the other ends ofsaid frame members being disconnected, the free ends of said membersprovided with guides for the wire or the like to be tightened, saidguides spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction, and aspindle mounted in a bearing in said frame, said spindle and one of saidframe members having interlocking ratchet teeth, the teeth of said framemember located on the inner side of said member.

5. A stretching or tightening device, comprising a frame consisting of aplurality of side members, which are relatively overlapped at one endand are adapted to re ceive the loop or ring of a cable or the likebetween them to ope'ratively connect them at that end, the other ends ofsaid frame members being disconnected, the free ends of said membersprovided with guides for the wire or the like to be tightened, saidguides spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction, aspindle mounted in a bearing in said frame, said spindle and one of saidframe members having interlocking ratchet teeth, the teeth of said framemember located on the inner side of said member, said spindle havingalso a limiting collar coacting with the other frame member.

6. The combination, with a wire stretching or tightening devicecomprising a frame, and a rotary member on which the wire or the likemay be wound, said frame having a portion in proximity to the path ofthe Wire or the like to be tightened, of an anti-slip clamp adapted tobe mounted on the wire or the like to be tightened, and to engage saidshoulder to prevent backward slipping of the wire or the like comprisinga base, a clamping member adapted to grip the wire or the like betweenitself and said base, and means for drawing said clamping member towardsaid base:

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN G. BARCLAY.

Witnesses F. KrrrEN, H. Pn'rnm.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

